It is around this time of year when people in Seattle start getting ready for the winter sport season. A little too early for a ton of snow in some of the local mountains, but still, early reports and news about snowstorms before Thanksgiving get everyone chatting about the wintery weather to come. Growing up in Sammamish, just East of Seattle, I was one of these people, getting out the gear, looking for that one missing glove (how does that always happen?), and waxing the snowboard well before I actually went up the mountain for the first time. Living close enough to Snoqualmie Pass meant we could easily make the drive over the mountain for the day. It was our tradition to spend the day on the slopes meeting for lunch at the lodge or eating the lunches we brought from home. Dinner was always a bit perplexing. Do we drive back home and eat something locally, do we stop in North Bend for fast food, or do we eat at the lodge again? Back then, there was a definite lack of a local hangout for skiers and non-skiers alike to meet for drinks, food, and community.
It wasn’t until 2004, over 80 years since skiing started at Snoqualmie, that Bryce Phillips, founder of Evo, recognized the need for a space where people could come together to build community. Between 2004 and 2011, Bryce developed the plan for The Pass Life, eventually purchasing the 5-acre section of land in 2011 where the first Pass Life homes would be built. “My dream,” says Bryce, “is for our project and all that will inevitably follow to showcase how special this region is. It’s a place that so many love, in a state that has a very bright future. I want to make sure that The Pass is a reflection of this.”
Recognizing that he couldn’t bring his full dream to life alone, Bryce partnered with Ray and Mary Johnston for the first round of homes in the Pass Life community. Together, they built the first 34 Pass Life Lofts, giving life to Bryce’s vision and to a new community in the mountains. For the most recent round, Bryce reached out to Mark Ryland, founder of Buildhouse, a multidisciplinary building studio specializing in modern custom projects and prefab homes. Mark brought along Ryan Stephenson, founder and principal at Stephenson Design Collective, an award-winning Seattle-based modern design studio. This new team developed the plans for the two new modern homes.
Building homes for avid skiers and outdoor enthusiasts is a good place to start, but to have a true community, you must have a center for people to gather and enjoy each other’s company. That’s where The Commonwealth Restaurant, Dru Bru Craft Brewery, and the Washington State Ski and Snowboard Museum fit in. Adding a few choice amenities created a gathering place for people who work on the mountain, spend a weekend there, or are just passing through.
Image courtesy of The Pass Life
It’s been 8 years since the first 30 lofts were built and sold, but there is more on the horizon about to be unveiled. Bryce and Rob Frishholz, Windermere Real Estate Broker, recently reached out to 360modern to talk all things modern design and let us know about their latest project: The Pass Life community expansion into modern-aesthetic single family homes.
For the last few years, The Pass Life, Build House, and the Stephenson Collective have been completing two homes in the Hyak area of Snoqualmie Pass. We were able to get a sneak peek at the homes and immediately recognized their elevated modern design, the integration with nature, the attention to detail, and ultimately, the uniqueness of these properties, not only in the realm of modern homes, but especially for what is available in the mountain and outdoorsy community. Walking through these homes, it is impossible to forget the stunning mountain surroundings, but at the same time, the homes are deliberately lacking in those traditional rustic elements that are often present in a mountain home. Instead, you have clean lines, beautifully planned and aesthetically pleasing angles, and lots of exposed light and warm wood, all fitted with top of the line sleek modern amenities. These homes are truly something that has never been done in a community like this. Immediately we knew we had to collaborate on this project.
On Saturday, October 12, Bryce and his team in collaboration with 360modern, will unveil the next phase of The Pass Life: two modern homes unlike any other available in a mountain community in the state. These aren’t townhomes or lofts, they’re fully detached single family homes with 2-3 bedrooms and 2-3 baths designed with a modern aesthetic that incorporates the stunning natural views surrounding the homes. The new homes are located in the Hyak portion of Snoqualmie Pass, an area that is considered a hidden gem by its fans, often overlooked for West or Alpental. Hyak faces west and so gets more sun than the other two areas resulting in just a little less snow to shovel and a lot more light. And, since it is often passed up for the other two more popular areas, it has developed a very cool and unique vibe. Definitely an amazing place to live.
In collaboration with 360modern, the October 12 event will showcase the two new homes offering an open house for 160 Cascade Place and 440 Rampart Drive followed by a reception to learn more about the community.
160 Cascade is a stunning traditional A Frame design with all the modern amenities you could ask for in a mountain home, including two bedrooms, a loft, two full bathrooms, and, of course, a fireplace. A project that Mark Ryland of Buildhouse was excited to be a part of, the home includes the elements most A frames do. But Mark and Ryan Stephenson chose to flip the traditional layout of the home, positioning the community spaces at the top and the private spaces, like bedrooms, in the basement. This brings everyone together in rooms that are flooded by light and expansive views through the large windows, creating a stunning space to hangout in. it’s no coincidence that this focus on community recalls Bryce’s vision for a larger community in Snoqualmie Pass. Also unlike other A frames, 160 Cascade is smaller in size and has a lot of unique design choices throughout including the floor to ceiling windows in the loft and the exposed mass plywood panels made of fir throughout the inside of the home, giving it a brighter and warmer feel. The home is designed to be smaller in size, creating a comforting space were a family can come together after a day in the mountains and relax.
440 Rampart Drive is a larger Scandinavian modern inspired home, with just as many amenities, three bedrooms, and three full bathrooms. Similar to the A Frame home, the interiors are also exposed plywood, but birch, instead of fir, brightening the space and recalling the aesthetic of Scandinavian modern. It too features the clean lines and lack of excessive interior detailing by removing base trim and window or door casing. It’s a modern play on the traditional wood cabin: dark exteriors with bright interiors, a lot of exposed wood, but without the beams or logs. Larger than the A Frame and with a more familiar shape, this home appeals to the idea of a weekend getaway home complete with all the amenities you’d have at a primary residence, except this one is in the mountains where you can truly disconnect, experience nature, and enjoy the community of people around you.
It was important to both Mark Ryland and Ryan Stephenson that the homes were simple mountain homes without all the expected details of a log cabin. Instead, the homes are brightened by exposed plywood throughout and open to the wilderness by the floor to ceiling windows. The homes are devoid of excessive interior elements in favor of clean lines and simplicity. Recalling the traditional modern aesthetic, both are designed to optimize natural light, bring nature into the home, and fade into the forest behind surrounding them, especially, in the summer sunsets. The final unique feature of the Scandinavian modern home at 440 Rampart? It’s is modular, which means it can be built quickly off site and brought to the location, enabling future families to enjoy homes in the area within one season.
What’s next for Bryce and The Pass Life? The team is currently working on renovating and converting the historic 100-year-old fire station at the top of Snoqualmie Pass, a task Bryce is familiar with from his experience renovating and repurposing buildings around the Seattle area. The fire station is especially exciting because, although it is rundown, it has good bones and will be a new location for new amenities for The Pass Life community. What they are, he isn’t ready to tell us yet, but he assures us they will be more than worth the wait.
In the meantime, join 360modern and Rob Frishholz for the open house event at Hyak for a first look at the new homes. 360modern be there to support and offer insights about Bryce’s latest additions to the community: two new incredible modern single family homes, unlike any in Washington today.
JOIN US: New Homes and a Growing Community
Join 360modern for a walk through either or both of the new new homes in Snoqualmie pass on a day that works for you! The Pass Life Hyak Homes are in collaboration with 360modern.com.
Interested in a tour? We’re happy to help! Contact us to learn more about the homes or to get a look inside.
Rick or Heidi at 360modern
Rob Frishholz at Windermere
CABIN // Rampart // 3 bedroom 3 full bathrooms
- Scandinavian mountain modern influenced
- Durable Hardie siding with cedar accents
- Black Fiberglass Anderson Windows and doors (floor to ceiling in living room)
- Enhanced building envelope for health and durability
- Lunos HRV (heat recovery ventilator) for healthy indoor air quality
- Low VOC paints and finishes
- Birch plywood finishes throughout upper floor
- Statement Tile
- Engineered hardwood by Kentwood
- Jotul modern gas fireplace made in Norway
- Panasonic Whisper Quite bathroom fans
- Daikin Heat Pump and Minisplit system with heating and AC
- Custom Birch Cabinets by Smith and Vallee Cabinetmakers
- Black stainless appliance package
A FRAME // Cascade // 2 bedroom + loft 2 full bathrooms
- Modern A Frame cabin
- 24 gauge standing seam metal roof by AEP Span
- Cedar decks in front and back
- Custom black aluminum clad windows and doors by Anderson Windows
- Low VOC paints and finishes
- Fir plywood finishes combined with Douglass Fir timber framed accents
- Engineered hardwood by Kentwood
- Morso high efficient wood burning stand alone fireplace
- Daikin Heat Pump and Minisplit system with heating and AC
- Custom Birch Cabinets by Smith and Vallee Cabinetmakers
- Stainless steel appliance package